Cable’s Raiders honeymoon: He has a few more months, he’d better take advantage

I think it’s smart of Cable to pin his Raiders coaching career on Russell–he’s not going to get the best out of Russell, particularly in this weird Raiders hierarchy, unless he demands it NOW IMMEDIATELY DO IT.

But it’s also risky for Cable’s continued employment, since Russell’s not a certain show stopper this season and Cable has painted a target on his own back if, in the future, Al Davis looks for somebody to blame about Russell.

What if Russell balks at some of the pushing? What if he plays terribly in Weeks 1-6? Uh oh. Cable can’t excuse him because he has put the franchise on Russell’s back (logically).

What Cable senses: Hey, all Raiders coaches are doomed at the first drop of a 4-game losing streak no matter what they say; you might as well push your own agenda and your top players as you see fit.

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Like all first-year Raiders coaches, Cable is experiencing the Al Honeymoon right now. He might even have partial input on the draft choices, though let’s not get too crazy on this issue and keep it at a fractional level of input.

Even Lane Kiffin got a bit of a honeymoon–got rid of Randy Moss and other non-Kiffin types, got a lot of his type of players (except the JaMarcus pick, which Kiffin understood and did not totally object to, he apparently just liked Brady Quinn better as a leader), re-did the offense, was fairly much left alone.

It was only when Kiffin went 4-12 in his first season that his personality was deemed too much for Davis to endure and the honeymoon was done. Then things went in the reverse direction of a honeymoon.

Other than my earlier thoughts about Cable having to adjust his zone blocking scheme to suit Al’s desire for more power–and I think Cable’s being a bit sensitive about these questions, which is understandable only if Al really did force him to change things–I think Cable is getting as free a run at being a real NFL coach as he’s ever going to get in the East Bay.

Bringing in Jeff Garcia is a good start. Somebody to push Russell, as Cable implied today. Somebody who went undrafted, went to Canada, fought his way into the NFL, who keeps working and pushing and clawing, even though he’s 39 now.

Cable didn’t have to say it: That’s the opposite of Russell, the hugely talented No. 1 overall pick who isn’t a pepper pot personality in any way shape or form.

I don’t think Davis would ever be against signing Garcia, since AD tried to do it in the past and since his great friend Bill Walsh “discovered” Garcia years ago, and Al loves his connection to Walsh, which is real.

But Garcia as a prod for Russell, as a potential “mentor”–though I used that word facetiously in my question, Cable jumped on it and said that’s the role he envisions for Garcia–that is all Cable, not Al.

And then for Cable to say there are four guys he wants at the Raiders No. 7 pick. Well, that is not Al at all. Of course, Al never speaks to the media in the days leading up to the draft, or after the draft. He doesn’t like the public smokescreen stuff. It’s beneath him. He just stays in the darkness.

But Cable gushed about Michael Crabtree, Andre Smith and three other unnamed tackles, presumably Jason Smith, Eugene Monroe and Michael Oher. He suggested the Raiders could also use help in the run defense, which seems to point to DT B.J. Raji.

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I like that kind of clarity and directness, even if it’s Cable’s own attempt at a smokescreen. This is stuff to chew on. This is football stuff.

This is pretty much the Cable Raiders’ hallmark, so far: Up front, in your face, clear, simple, decisive, no bull, not trying to pretend or spin, accept that the Raiders do things differently, but just try to coach the dang team.

I don’t know how long Cable will be able to do it this way, but for now, during the honeymoon, I’m all for it.